On November 17, 2017, we delivered winter coats through the “Operation Warm” program to kids in the Waukee School District. Our club donated over 260 coats that were distributed to each of the school buildings in the Waukee School District. Since 2013, there have been approximately 900 coats provided by Waukee Rotary/Operation Warm and the School District.
When Waukee Rotary’s president Devin Boyer was asked “Why support Operation Warm,” he responded by saying, "It is a strategic initiative of our Club to support those in need in our community, but especially the youth. Providing a coat to a child is more than providing warmth. Studies shown, through the research by Operation Warm, the coats provide an increase in self-confidence, school attendance, better peer-to-peer interaction and improved health. The question by Waukee Rotary when approached by the School District was not 'how much will this cost and can we afford to support it?' but 'how many coats do you need?' The Board, Club and I could not imagine denying a child a coat and we were willing to support the initiative at any level."
When Kirk Johnson, Associate Superintendent at Waukee Schools and Waukee Rotarian, was asked “What led the school district to take on the project,” he responded by saying "We began this effort in 2013. The desire to take this on and work with Rotary is rooted in the fact that the needs of our students in Waukee continue to increase and become more diverse in their nature. We have a growing number of students and families that need assistance with basic needs."
